A Prayer for the Busy Day Ahead
By Megan Evans
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” - Psalm 37:23 NLT
Busy days often leave us feeling overwhelmed. With a mountain of tasks in front of us, it can be challenging to know where to start. Long to-do lists scramble our thoughts and leave us feeling stuck in place, but we can turn to the One True God who delights in every detail of our lives. As it says in Psalm 37, He will direct our steps. When was the last time you prayed over your to-do list? Does this challenge you as it does me? We might quickly pray about the big things in life, but do we try to shoulder the seemingly small stuff ourselves? What would our day look like if we surrendered the details to Jesus?
As I paused in a moment of anxiety this week, I pondered my familiar pattern of overwhelm. The lack of clear direction was leading me once again into distraction and avoidance of tasks. As time pressed in, my thoughts began to jumble. “Where do I start? What comes next? How will I ever finish?” I felt alone and defeated in my struggle, yet that is not where God calls His children to live out our days. We may fall, but Jesus will help us get back up again. The Holy Spirit reminded me that I could ask for guidance, and I prayed a simple prayer:
“Lord, help me. I don’t know what to do first.”
It wasn’t a major project or accomplishment. God simply met me in the middle of a busy day. I needed to write thank you notes, replace my child’s swimsuit, buy a present, return a call, fill out forms, pay a bill, send an email, and run back to the store for a forgotten ingredient for tonight’s supper. It didn’t seem big, but it felt big. Have you had an afternoon like that lately? God’s Word wisely counsels us against procrastination. As it says in Proverbs 6:6,“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!” In addition, Colossians 3:23 instructs,
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
We don’t have to let our to-do lists get the best of us--we can bring glory to God in our busy days ahead. God wants a personal relationship with each of us and wants to be part of our day! In our restless and confusing moments, He calls us to His side. He invites us to seek His counsel through prayer and His Living Word. Never in the Bible does God tell us to spare Him from the trivial stuff. Philippians 4:6 tells us,
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
We can pray about anything and everything—even our busy days! He delights in every detail. Jesus is our peace and direction, and He will direct the steps of the godly. Being godly isn’t about being perfect and always knowing what to do next. It’s about obeying God and surrendering to His grace and lead. The Lord directed my steps on my busy day, and He will direct yours too. Peace filled my heart and mind as I prayed through the list of tasks. Confidence and purpose filled my body, and I began to put one foot in front of the other, tackling the duties with His help. Does your mind feel cluttered with tasks today? Whether you are tackling a big project or just a daily to-do list, God wants to be part of your day.
Let’s pray:
Father God, I confess my need for your peace and direction in my daily activity. I am easily overwhelmed, and I ask you for clarity and motivation today. Lord, I want to honor you in my work and be a good steward of your blessings. Break any chains of procrastination and fill my steps with your purpose. Renew my strength to accomplish what is set before me today. Thank you for loving me and delighting in the details of my life. Remind me often to seek your counsel and to enjoy dwelling in your wonderful presence. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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